Biutiful

Plot Summary
Uxbal (Javier Bardem), a career criminal, plies his trade in Barcelona's underground sweatshops and back alleys. Unlike his associates, he has some respect for the poor workers under his thumb and is a devoted father. Told that he is ill and has just a few months to live, Uxbal tries to get his affairs in order before the spirits, with whom he communes, come to claim him.

My greatest challenge was figuring out the location. I learned that it was Barcelona. I haven't been in Barcelona since 1966 and there were no slums. I spent most of my time near the Spanish Riviera, camped on the shore. Has Barcelona actually deteriorated to that degree? The film wasn't subtle.

How crtiics gave this movie three stars I don\'t get. Bardem is truly a gifted actor. You felt him in this movie. I was enthralled from beginning to end. Same crtics probably who gave Burlesque two stars. Thank god I do not listen to critics